THE BRONX - The man arrested last week in the 1991 "Baby Hope" murder case has taken back his confession.

Conrado Juarez was charged with sexually assaulting and smothering 4-year-old Anjelica Castillo, whose body was discovered stuffed inside a cooler in upper Manhattan and remained unidentified for 22 years.

The 52-year-old had admitted to the crime, but has now told the New York Times that the girl fell down the stairs and that his confession was coerced.